Driver waives hearing in traffic death of Conshohocken man

LOWER MERION — A Bryn Mawr woman waived all charges Tuesday in connection with the deadly crash that killed a Conshohocken man in August. Her attorney says that if it is determined that she does not have a drug or alcohol problem, he believes that she should not be prevented from driving.

Meredith Williams-Earle, 30, of the 700 block of Harriton Road, Bryn Mawr, sat quietly in front of District Magisterial Judge Henry Schireson in Penn Valley as she went through the process of waiving her right to a preliminary hearing.

Williams-Earle is facing a dozen charges, including vehicular homicide in connection with the Aug. 6 crash that killed 70-year-old Winston Staats. The crash occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Police say Staats was driving a delivery van south on Spring Mill Road in Villanova when Williams-Earle ran a stop sign at Morris Road in her Toyota Prius. The impact of the crash partially ejected Staat from the van. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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In a follow up investigation, police say Williams-Earle was intoxicated, having consumed alcohol and Ativan prior to the crash. Police say her 2-year-old son was improperly restrained in a child safety seat at the time of the accident.

Outside of the court, Williams-Earle’s attorney explained why he provided argument in court that his client should be able to drive and under what conditions the court should allow it.

“We have to get a medical report. I would feel better if a doctor were to re-examine her and tell me and tell the court that she has no alcohol problems and then I think she should get her licenses back,” defense attorney Joseph Hylan said after the hearing.

Under the agreement between the defense and the prosecution that was reached shortly before the hearing was scheduled to begin, nothing would change with respect to charges or bail.

“We agreed that everything would remain the same as it is right now. All the charges including homicide by vehicle while DUI will remain in place and the bail conditions as well,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Alac O’Neill said after the hearing.

One thing that the defense seems to have been concerned with was that prosecutors might have been considering adding a charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

As a result of her alleged involvement in the crash that killed Staat, Williams-Earle is being charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, DUI; DUI: controlled substance – combination alcohol and drugs; recklessly endangering another person; reckless driving; improper child restraint system; and related charges.

At the time of the crash, Lower Merion police officers who responded reported that Williams-Earle showed signs of intoxication that included having a strong odor of alcohol coming from her and she had red and bloodshot eyes. A cup was also on the floor, which had an odor of alcohol, according to police. She told police that her son had asked for some Cheez-It crackers and she turned to give him some crackers. She remembers nothing after that, according to a criminal complaint.

Police determined that she ran the stop sign at the intersection of Morris Avenue and Spring Mill Road, striking the van.

A follow-up investigation found that her airbag control module showed that her car was traveling 42.3 mph just prior to the impact.

Officials also determined that the child seat in the car was not properly installed in the vehicle.

Two weeks after the crash, police received the report from chemical testing done on Williams-Earle’s blood that showed a BAC of .098 percent and the presence of Ativan in her system.

According to a family friend, Staat was a retired postal worker who was delivering flowers for Valley Forge Flowers as a way to make extra money. He was also a veteran of the Vietnam War, having served in the Marine Corps.

Williams-Earle was a Latin teacher at Interboro High School in Prospect Park at the time of the crash.

During the brief hearing she sat beside he attorney and did not speak. She is currently free on $100,000 unsecured bail.